Bobcats tabbed 11th in Conference Carolinas Preseason Poll

HIGH POINT, N.C. --- The Lees-McRae College women's basketball team is picked to finish 11th in the race for the 2012 Conference Carolinas regular season title, announced league officials Friday.

Lees-McRae enters a new era under first-year head coach Michele Williams, who comes to Banner Elk following a successful five-year stint at the helm of conference foe King College. The Bobcats return two starters and seven letter-winners from last year's squad, including senior guard Icey Patterson (Seneca, S.C.), who led the team in scoring last season with 12.6 points per game.

Limestone College tops the poll with 121 points and 11 first-place votes, followed by Barton College with 108 points and one first-place nod. Mount Olive College is third with 96 points, followed by Coker College (89) and North Greenville University (82).

Pfeiffer University is sixth with 67 points, followed by Queens University of Charlotte (66), Belmont Abbey College (49), Erskine College (45), King College (35), Lees-McRae (22), and Converse College (12).

Lees-McRae opens its exhibition schedule on Tuesday, November 6 when the Bobcats travel to Milligan College, Tenn. to take on Milligan College at 7 p.m. The Bobcats will begin their 2012-13 campaign on Friday, November 9 when they make the short trip to Boone, N.C. to take on NCAA Division I Appalachian State University at 5 p.m.